Final
Pacers-Nets Preview
Nov 16, 2009 - 6:54 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior WriterIndiana (4-3) at New Jersey (0-10), 7:30 p.m. EDT
A winless start to the season hasn't deterred the Indiana Pacers from finding success. The same can't be said for the injury-plagued New Jersey Nets.
The Pacers look for a fifth straight win Tuesday night at the Izod Center as they try to extend the Nets' franchise-worst start to 0-11.
Indiana (4-3) lost its first three games before three straight double-digit victories over losing teams. The Pacers finally proved they could beat a contender with a 113-104 victory over Boston on Saturday.
Danny Granger scored 29 points as Indiana rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit. He had 20 in the first half to keep the Pacers in the game.
"I was looking forward to this game because I love playing the really good teams," Granger said. "I really love those games. This game, we got up for it and we were ready."
With Granger drawing more defensive attention, Dahntay Jones scored 12 of his 25 in the fourth quarter to help Indiana prevail.
Jones has been the key to the win streak, moving into the starting lineup for the start of it Nov. 4, and averaging 18.0 points over the four games. The New Jersey native's career average is 5.3 points, and he's never reached double figures in five games in his home state.
"(Coach) Jim O'Brien kept calling my number, told me to be aggressive," Jones said. "We had something that worked one time, and we kept with it. That's what you do, you keep milking plays that are working."
The winless Nets could use a similar spark, but have been forced to use eight or fewer players in four of their last five games. All-Star point guard Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, Jarvis Hayes, Keyon Dooling, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie are all out for New Jersey.
The Nets nearly overcame all those absences Saturday in Miami, where they fell 81-80 on Dwyane Wade's 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left. Brook Lopez tipped in Rafer Alston's missed runner with 4.1 seconds remaining to give New Jersey the lead.
"I feel terrible for our guys," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "We lay it all out there and to get beat like that, I'm just sick to my heart for them. It hurts. I feel so bad because the effort was extraordinary. We just fell short."
Lopez and Trenton Hassell each finished with 17 points for New Jersey, which is shooting 39.4 percent over its last four games.
Indiana ended a four-game road losing streak at New Jersey with a 98-87 win Nov. 12, 2008, in its lone visit last season. T.J. Ford scored 18 points to lead the Pacers as they took advantage of an injured Harris' absence for the Nets.
Ford started the first six games for Indiana before back spasms he suffered in last Wednesday's win over Golden State caused O'Brien to start Earl Watson on Saturday. Watson had 12 points and seven assists.
- NBA
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
INDIANA 31 23 13 24 91
NEW JERSEY 21 25 14 23 83 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: IND - DANNY GRANGER 22, ROY HIBBERT 19,
DAHNTAY JONES 17
NJN - CHRIS DOUGLAS-ROBERTS 27, BROOK LOPEZ
26, RAFER ALSTON 14
Nov 17 9:56 PM - NBA
END 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
INDIANA 31 23 13 67
NEW JERSEY 21 25 14 60 END 3RD QTR
HIGH SCORERS AFTER 3RD QUARTER
IND - DANNY GRANGER 16, ROY HIBBERT 13,
DAHNTAY JONES 11
NJN - BROOK LOPEZ 22, CHRIS DOUGLAS-ROBERTS
19, RAFER ALSTON 8
Nov 17 9:18 PM - NBA
INDIANA 54
NEW JERSEY 46 HALFTIME
Nov 17 8:41 PM - NBA
INDIANA 31
NEW JERSEY 21 END, 1ST QTR
Nov 17 8:08 PM
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